Account of the events leading up to, and during, June 6, 1944: D-Day, from both sides.

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2007)

Leonard Maltin says it is one of the last great war films. I say that it is, along with Sands of Iwo Jima. Some people say that films that are like this, with big name stars in cameo/extra-ish roles, have the wrong outlook because of that. I disagree, because with How the West was Won, which also casts big name stars in cameo/extra-ish roles, you are not supposed to worry about the stars- you are supposed to worry about THE FAMILY, what happens to them, whether they get killed or not, who they have as friends, who they should not have as friends, who they have as enemies, who they should not have as enemies, etc., or if its The Greatest Story Ever Told, which, again, casts big name stars in cameo/extra-ish roles, you, again, are not supposed to worry about the stars, but instead, you should worry about THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, (which truly is The Greatest Story Ever Told) and how George Stevens tries to make you understand that you should worry about how the story always can, always will, and always has effected our lives. Lastly, with The Longest Day, you are not supposed to worry about the actors, you are supposed to worry about the INVASION itself, and how IT is the star of the movie, and that the actors are really the co-stars, compared to the INVASION. Another reason you should not worry about the stars in The Longest Day is because, I think, that if you were, say, Sal Mineo's character, Pvt. Martini, you would remember it if you ran into John Wayne's character, Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort, for two reasons: because it is John Wayne playing the part, and it is Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort on screen. But if you were John Wayne's character, Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort, and you ran into Sal Mineo's character, Pvt. Martini, you might not remember it if you ran into Sal Mineo's character, Pvt. Martini, for two reasons: because it is Sal Mineo playing the part, and it is Pvt. Martini on screen. Another reason is that you would remember John Wayne, because he hurt his leg, and also because it is John Wayne- we know he can get through that. But if it's Sal Mineo, you might not remember him, because he gets killed because he mistook the bolt-action of the German's rifle for the cricket-clicker, and its Sal Mineo- he will probably die.